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Highland Park explores 16–17‑year‑old participation in school board elections; opts for school‑run mock vote
Summary
After examining a Newark pilot and county guidance, councilmembers concluded municipal administration of special ballots would be costly and instead asked staff to work with local schools and the Model UN program to pilot mock elections for civic engagement.
Councilmembers discussed whether Highland Park should allow 16– and 17‑year‑olds to vote in school board elections, a policy tested in some New Jersey municipalities. Staff advised the county board of elections that implementing a municipal special election for that age cohort would require separate ballots, special programming of voting machines and added administrative costs; Newark’s experience was cited as a high‑cost example with modest turnout.
Given those constraints, the council reached consensus to work with the Highland Park school district and the Model UN program to stage mock elections that would give students hands‑on experience without imposing the municipal printing and machine programming costs of a formal special vote. The presenter noted county clerks and the school superintendent had been receptive and staff will return with a proposed plan for a pilot exercise.
Why it matters: the idea would increase civic familiarity among high‑school students, but councilmembers warned that first‑time turnout rates historically are low and that municipal election machinery requires legal and budgetary commitments.
Next steps: staff will meet with the Model UN team and the school to design a mock election that could include candidate forums and classroom engagement; the council signaled support for that pilot and asked staff to report back on a timeline and any resource needs.
Ending: the council closed public comment, moved to adjourn and noted no official action was taken during the work session.
